Welded bolster center filler



i. i ,OFFICE l f lWllznnlazn BoLsfrERcEiNVTERFILLER I John .Christainsemv .Bcrwclnl ,Palgyassgnor to'k American 'Carl and Foundryv Company, New

` York,`N. Y., a'corporationof Nevv/vjfrers'ey Application June s, y1942,5s7eria1 iva-446,071y

This 'invention relates in general to 'railway car underframesand in' particular to 'that'part ofthe underframe known as a bolster center yllerf` e In the past practically all railway carsjlhave f been built with lcast, steel bolster center; llers' ywhichjha'd torbe machined and thensecured 'in position. Such-c'enter lillers were extremely.

heavy and in `recentyears, there-has been atrend toward the use of jfabricatedlparts in order `that i .t

the Weightsy of "theY carsiight b e reduced.` Further, in times of lnational-"eme'rgency such'as now exists it is almost impossible to secure cast steel for railway car yuse'fiIt is ranvobject, therefore, ofv the present invention'to,provide-va weldedbolster i center, fillerwhich may' be fabricated from small y rolled metal shapes plates.

A further'objectl of y y vision of a welded bolster center iiller which may be fabricatedla's aunit'andapplied to the'car in anysitable 'manner but preferably by riveting, thus permitting ready* l installation, repairj and revetement-Q .l .i f

` A lstill further 'object ofthe inventiony is the -theinvention is the proprovision cf' a welded bolster 'center llerfhav'ing thepartslrmade ofrolledfplates and shapesso arrangedfand K` att' ach'etl v.to the vcenter` sills,y as] to produce a plurality ot lvexceptionally strong VIcrrarts of substantially'closedbox section. g

provision of`r ai 'welded bolster center filler which y *maybe fabricated andjappliedto thecar in I much the same manner las the v cast steel lfillers vare now applied;thus/:permitting the' customary:k f

procedure 'tobe usedfirijconstructionofjshe car.

These andother yobjects-,of the inventionwill y be apparentto: persons -s'killed in'/thefartffrom` a, study of the following rdescriptionan'daccOmpanying drawing-in which i Figure 1 isapartial plan andy partial vsectional lview showing the improvedV bolster center .filler and adjacentparts of the underframe; "1

Fig.r 2 'is 'a f sectional'` view taken substantially `minne zfjz'of Figli;

, ,y yet rvfurther vobje t fof. the inventiony iis-'fthe Figs. 3 'and' 4-laresectional l"-viewsf taken sub- DE Fig.2; f s

' Fig.` sis azperspective view'offone of 'the-'center v sill tie :plates forming'part ofthe center fillerj ,'Fig. 6 is Va perspective 'View of the'basey plate, l and i 1; v

Fig. 'Iisa `perspective viewofone of'themain members-forming the bolster center illerir; i

, Referring"v now; tol the A drawing in detail,v it'will I be seen'thatfthebolster'Vv center 'llerjhas been I i' y applied to' a car having standard AAR vcenter sills, these sills being formed of special Z-v sections havingv relatively thick short flanges 2, webs '4 and thinner, longer flanges 6. The thinner,

jlonger sections are weldedA together,l as is customary, to give an inverted channel form 'center sill having outwardly directed bottom lianges.

Near each end -of the center lsills the car boll sters .are attached and'these are formed, inthe,A

present case, ofspaced bolster plates having webs 8', bottom flanges |0,.topiianges l2anl inner end flanges I4. yThe'bottom flanges I0 is'pressed upwardly, as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4, to

l clear the bottom'an'ge of the center sill and'permit the major portion of the bottom flange tojbe directly secured to the bolster bottom cover plate "It, ii'llhis'bolster bottom cover plate rests upon andhas securedth'ereto the center bearing I8 which may be vof anyjsuitable form and construction. v The bolster diaphragm plates are also 'connected together, as is customary,y by means 'fof4 rivets' or `rother securing devices extending 'through the top'flangesv I2V and through the top posed to 'form' the top portion, while the webs 32 are located vertically :and the thinner, wider flanges 34 are disposed to form the lowermost p0r-` tic'r'ny ofthe filler'. As 'appliedthe thinner, lwider` flanges underlie andare directly attached toA the shorter, thicker 'angesZ of the center sill,V

whilethe vWebs 32 are disposed in parallel spaced 'relationship to the webs 4 ofthe center sills. The f narrow, thicker'flangesf30 of the main lle`rmem bers' are ,disposedv substantiallyA horizontal and "inf i ydirect contact with the upper flange portions 6 ofthe vcenterfsills to which they are attached.`

In other words, the main'members of the center fillers are so positioned as to 'form an inverted channel member ysecured :within thev inverted lchannel' forni center sill and with the. webs in spaced relation `In order'to reinforce ythe inverted channel member of they center filler, opposed M-shaped plates are provided having the legs 3,6 Weldedto the webs 32 of the filler member and having the apiceswelded together as at W. -In order to better accommodate the kingpin connecting the car body and truck together, the central portion of these M-shaped plates is curved as at 38. In this manner the webs 32 of the inverted channel filler member are prevented from being distorted by a triangular shaped reinforce'- 'ment formed by the legs of the M-shaped plates. As most clearly shown in Fig. 7 the webs of the Z sections forming the inverted channel center filler member are copedk out as at 40 to receive tie plates 42, shown Ain perspective `in Fig. 5. These tie plates are formed with end ilanges 44 pierced as at 46 to receive suitable securing meansA such as rivets 48. The bottom edge of the central portion of the tie plates is formed with .a slight extension 50 adapted to fit between the lower portions of the inverted channel filler member `and of such a length as to permit their direct ,attachment to a base plate 52 shown in perspective in Fig. 6. The central portions of the tie plates are welded or otherwise secured directly to the coped out portions of the Z members forming. the inverted channel filler, al1 as clearly shown in Fig. '1. These tie plates thus mutually tie together `the `center sill webs and the webs of vthe inverted channel iiller member. In order to provide `a good connection `and support for the -center bearing, the baseplate 52 isaattached tothe extendedfpart .510 ofthe tie 4plates andiextends outwardly Ythrough .randris piercedasfat 54 to receive suitable securing means 56. This 'base `plate bears upon the lower 'ends ofthe "M #shaped guide plates and is formed with `stiffening `corrugations '58 projecting upwardly between the'webs 32 ofthe inverted channel filler member. The side vedges ofv this ibase :pla-te are beveled, `as clearly shown in .'Figs. 3 and 4 :in order that a ygood Weld may be secured be- @tween the :baseplate and the lower portions of the websrof the inverted channel member. The base plate :is provided lwith a central opening 60 .adapted -t-o receive the king pin yand the edges of 'this opening are'welded to the bottomedgesofthe lvl-shaped pin guide .plates wherever possible. 'It will vbe seen :from'the preceding that the tie plates `and inverted channel iiller member, together with `thebase plate and car center sill, form vthree substantially closed lbox section portions directly -above the center bearing, with the central box section internal-ly braced :by .means of the 4M- shaped pin guide plates. v l

The center ller may be assembled `in various .waysdependent upon shop practice -but it is preferred to :assemble the prepared parts upon a jig .and `bringtthe pre-fabricated center ller'to the car underframe forattachment thereto. In following this procedure the prepared Z section elements are placed in proper position on the jig and the tie plates fitted into the coped out-areas and securely welded in place thereby tying the -Z elements together and forming the inverted channel member closed at its ends by the tie plates. The M-shaped guide plates are next welded together and inserted `betweenthe Webs-of the inverted channel memberand securely welded tothe Webs. With `the M -shaped plates -in -position fthe base 'plate may now be securely attached as described, thus'substantially closing the central :box ysection area of the ller. The center ller is now practically complete and is assembled on 'the Acar by inserting between the center sill Webs and fastened in place by driving ythe rivets or .other securing meansf48, thus fastening the center filler and bolster to the center .-sill. Next .the rivets or othersecuringfmeans 56 may be driven,

thereby yfirmly 'connecting together 'the Vcenter nller, bolster-bottomecoverand centerfplate.- VIf fabricated and assembled in this manner the projecting ends of anges 30 of the filler member may be welded to the top portion of the center sill. It may be desirable in some cases, however, to more securely tie the flanges 30 of the inverted channel member to the top portion of the center sill, in which case the base plate 52 will not be applied until after the center iiller is attached to the underframe and the flanges l3l) securely welded asvshown in Fig. 3. Regardless of the manner of assembling and attachment, it wil1 be seen that an extremely strong center filler is provided which cooperates with the center sills to form closed box `sections over the center plate. It will also be seen that the center ller is securely attached to the center sills by rivets and welds, thereby developing ,the full strength of the materials forming the filler.

While .the center ller has been described more or less in detail, it will be obvious to persons skilled in the art that various modifications and rear- .rangements may be made without departing from the -scopeof the following claims which dene my invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a vcar underframe including an inverted channel center sill -haying spaced apart webs, a bolster center filler comprising an 'inverted channel member having the Webs and -top portion thereof arranged vwithin the center `sill with the top portion directly connected to .the center sill and the web portions .thereof'spaced from the ceniter sill webs, means forming a king pin guide and joining the Webs of said inverted .channel mem- `nel member having the Webs and top portion `thereof arranged within the center sill Awith the ltop por-tion directly vconnected vto the center sill andthe webportionsthereof spaced from the center sill webs, spaced continuous tie plates directly connected -to Asaid invertedchannel member webs inwardly of the .ends of said `Ainverted channel member and tothe center-sill websfand `joining all of said .webs together, and va ibase plate joining the .lower portions Aof said tie vplatestogether and `extending outwardly substantially to the ends of said .inverted channel member, said base plate extending substantially fromend .to end of said member and being secured-to the lower portion of .said inverted channel member.

3. vIn .a `car underi-rame including an interted channel center sill having spacedapart webs, a bolster center ller comprising ,an .inverted ychan- `nel lmember' yhaving the webs `and top portion thereof arrangedvvithin the -.center.si ll with the D portionAdirectl-y connected to thecenter sill and the web portions thereof spaced'from the center sill webs,.spaced tie plates directlyjoining said inverted channel vmember Webs together and extending outwardly therefrom for direct connection -to the center sill Webs, .and a base plate joining the lower portionscf sai-d tieplates together :and secured'to'the .lower .portion of the webs of said inverted channel member thereby forming a substantially closed box-.section intermediate .the center sill Webm-said 4closed box-sectionbeing internally vbraced =by means secured to .the inverted .channel `member intermediate said tie plates and so formed and arranged as to provide va guide for a king pin, Y'

4. In a'car underframe including an inverted channel center sill having spaced apart webs, a

l bolster center filler comprising an inverted chanknel member having the webs and top portion thereof arranged within the center sill with the top portion directly connected to the 'center sill and the web portions thereof spaced from the center sill webs, spaced tie plates directly joining said inverted channel member webs togetherand tothe center sill webs, and a base plate joining the lower portions of said tie plates together' and se' cured to the lower portion of the webs of said inverted channel member thereby forming a sub-` stantially closed box-section, said closed boxchannel member webs and their apices secured together to form a king pin guide.

5. As an article of manufacture a bolster center Afiller for car center sills having spaced apart webs and comprising short unsymmetrical Z bars have ing vertical webs and narrow flanges directed toward each other, flanged tie plates secured tothe ends of the Z,bar webs and having the flanges having vertical webs and narrow flanges directed section being internally braced by M-shaped' plates having their legs secured to the invertedk thereof located in outwardly spaced parallel rela- Ationship to the webs of the Z Ebars for attachment lto the webs of the car center sills, and a base plate secured to the lower edges of said tie plates and the lower portions of the webs of the Z bars.

' 6. As an article of manufacturea bolster center filler for car center sills having spaced apart webs and comprising short unsymmetrical-'Z barshavy ing vvertical webs and narrow flanges directed toward each other, flanged tie plates secured to the ends of lthe Z bar webs and having the iianges thereof located in spaced parallellrelationship to the webs ofthe Z bars, opposed M-shaped plates having their leg portions secured to the Z bar webs to form a king pin guide andl brace, and a. base plate bearing on the ends of said M-shaped yplates and being secured to the lower portions of said tie plates and Z bar webs.

'7. As an article of manufacture a bolster center ller for car center sills having `spaced. apart n webs and comprising short unsymmetrical Z bars toward each other, tie plates extending across and secured tothe ends of the Z bar webs to form a box shaped section, said tie plates extending lbeyond the webs vand having their extremities 'flanged for attachment to the car` center sills, and a base plate secured `to the lower portions of said tie plates and Z bar webs and substantially closing said box shaped section, saidbase plate extending outwardly beyond the lower portions of the tie plates to provide flanges for the attach-` ment of a car center bearing.

8.r As an article of manufacture a bolster center filler for car center sills having spaced vapart webs and comprising short unsymmetrical Z bars having vertical webs andnarrow flanges directed toward each other, portions of the Z bar webs beingr cutaway to lprovide web ends inset from the 'ange ends, spaced tie plates secured to the web ends and joining said Z bars'together, said ytie plates extending beyond said Z bar webs and being formed 'with outwardly directed anges located in spaced parallel relationship to the webs of the Z bars, and abase plate secured to the loweredge portions of said tie plates and of said Z bar webs. f

9. In a car underframe having an inverted diaphragms and lmutually connecting the center" sill webs and the webs of the inverted'channel form member, and a base plate mutually joining the lower portions of said tie plates and of said inverted channel form member, said base plate extending outwardly beyond the points of junc-` k ture withsaid tie plates to provide flanges for the attachment of the center bearing.

JOHN CHRISTIANSEN. 

